Day 8: Fortifying Your Will With a Why
Intention
To confront both single and married men with a compelling why to the question of sexual integrity, so they restore and fortify their will.
Scripture
“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.
“For of this you can be sure: No immoral, or impure or greedy person – such a person is an idolater – has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore, do not be partners with them.”
– Ephesians 5:3–7 (NIV)
Reflection
One of the most powerful dynamics in human experience is that of sexual desire. God has connected our sexuality to the pleasure centre of our brain.
He also calls us to disciple our passions so that they conform to His purpose. Genesis 2:24 records, “A man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife”. Sexual intimacy is an act of covenant. And that covenant means the exclusion of all others. This is God’s purpose for sexual intimacy.
One of the idols of our culture is the pursuit of sex as an entertainment unit. Pornography is one of its most potent and ubiquitous proponents.
God created sex as a holy expression of his own eternal trinitarian experience of intimacy. But our culture pursues it as an idol of self-indulgence.
The internet has provided us with a means of distributing the heroin of pornography through smartphones and laptops. Its defiling influence too easily casts its dark shadow on the school bus and children’s playground.
Staying pure in a pornified culture requires determination to refuse to partner with a defiling culture. In any battle that involves the pleasure centre, we are called on to exercise our will.
In any battle involving the will, it is critical to fortify our determination with a powerful WHY. Paul gives us some powerful reasons in the Scripture above. Reasons that ought to be enough in themselves.
But let me give you another. Unholy indulgence in defiling pleasure spills over into marriage and damages your spouse and holy covenant relationship. Let me share with you just one of the 63 daily devotions created for participants of the Valiant Man course.
As disciples of Christ, we are called to partner with God’s best purposes for life. By fortifying our will with a powerful why, we set ourselves on a path towards victory.
Video
Prayer
Father of life, I cry out in the words of Jesus, “Lead me not into temptation but deliver me from the Evil One.”
In an unclean world, I choose You, I choose Jesus, I choose to be led by Your Holy Spirit. I set my heart to reverence Your will for my sexuality, that in every way my marriage bed would be undefiled (Hebrews 13:4).
Where I have been unguarded, forgive and cleanse me from my sin. Deal with me so that my spouse and my household will be blessed by my integrity. Restore my soul, teach me to guard my heart, so that my house would be to Your honour and Your glory, now and forever, amen.
Author Bio
In 1992, Allan and his wife, Helen, established Careforce Lifekeys, a ministry that releases healing, discipleship (especially in sexual integrity) and evangelism in over twenty countries.
Allan earned his doctorate from Denver Seminary in 2005. His research produced a new program (known as Valiant Man) to restore and fortify men’s moral and spiritual sexual integrity.
Prayer Points and Purpose for October 2024
- Revival and restoration of sexual integrity to renew the individual, revitalise marriages, restore families and protect children. Hebrews 13:4
- Revival, repentance and reformation of Australia. 2 Chronicles 7:14
- Revival, repentance and reformation of America. 2 Chronicles 7:14
- The Lamb that was slain may receive a reward for His suffering. Revelation 5:12
We invite you to support this prayer campaign by ordering your FREE copy of Break Through: 15 Keys to Supernatural Breakthrough, a book on prayer written by Warwick Marsh. Reading this book will multiply the effectiveness of your prayers. You can make a donation to the Canberra Declaration to help pay it forward and bless someone else to receive a free copy of Break Through.
Join us for our nightly Zoom prayer call:
DATES: Every night in October
TIME: 8 PM (AEDT); 7 PM (QLD); 7:30 PM (SA); 6:30 PM (NT); 5 PM (WA)
ZOOM LINK: zoom.us/j/776881184
Daily devotions are brought to you by the Canberra Declaration.
View October 2024 Daily Devotionals: dailydeclaration.org.au/tag/sexual-integrity-2024
Photo courtesy of Adobe.
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